Laura I'm sure youre right and I too would be very upset if a dog was refused help from breed rescue due to his breeding

Cooper I wish you all the best in what you decide


Kirstie

Why not give the behaviourists a go anyway and talk over your concerns with them they are supposed to be experts and I am sure after they have assessed him will be able to give you a clearer idea of how to train him, better to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all…..afterall you may be pleasantly surprised. I rehomed my dog Kip and even though she came to us at the age of 10 weeks she had problems which I always think went back to her being taken away from her dam @ 5 weeks then spending the next 5 in a dark shed. Anyway the bottom line is she has had lots of problems over the past 3½ years and has caused us a few headaches but I refused to give up, over time though we have conquered most apart from the dog aggression which I am afraid can sometimes be part of owning a bull breed like it or not….

w0w thanks everyone for your replies....
Regarding training - he was originally booked in to start in January but after further talks with the trainer - they said it wouldnt be a good idea and not fair on the other dogs...

I really want to keep him becuase he is perfect except for this DA. He shows no aggression to people and seems well socialised with all other aspects of life. I think it might be lead aggression as he was on the lead when he showed his aggression on saturday, but before we made the decision to keep him on a lead and muzzle - he has played with a male great dane and a retriever - he was a bit over excited and boisterous - but was ok. We muzzled him because he is unpredictable and barks and growls at little dogs...

Now see our trainer would take him no problem provided you had him muzzled just to see his reaction around other dogs.

Sounds to me like he is worth the effort, your already half way there in admitting the problem & seeking help with him.

Dog aggression is something that most bull breed owners may not necessarily experience but certainly should be aware of due to the breeds history and nature.

I dont think on the scale of things its a huge problem the main thing is he is non-human aggressive which imo is the worst trait you can have in a bulldog. Obviously I don't know how bad he is personally but it sounds like something that can be worked on, perhaps he will never be over friendly with other dogs but hopefully he can get to a point where he need not be muzzled, just be aware though with some dogs its just a natural instinct.

Laura

Do you think I could get a bahavourist to attend his dog training with me so he/she can assess his behavoir and show me what to do? Bearing in mind I have no experiance with this but I am willing to try. I will phone around for behavourist and ring up my trainer again I think...

I cant speak for all of them Laura but you will find that some will not take in a cross

Cooper you can opt for one to one training

Cool Lel I never realised that an Irish X KC would be considered a cross bred dog, my understanding its just two different types of the same dog . Oh well, I may contact them & see what they say it is a little disheartening if true.

Good luck with whatever you do Cooper, I really cant speak for the trainer and what they would/wouldnt be willing to do so if you are certain now that you want to keep him your best bet would be to get in touch with a good reputable trainer and take things from there...good luck mate.

Laura

I have heard of some non breed rescue centres that will not take in a staffy fullstop

I am really stuck now
I have just spoken to the behavourist recommended by our vet. I see him with Cooper at the vets for diagnosis. This wont be until Feb though as he is booked up. he gives a diagnosis and tells me what to do when I meet other dogs. He also recommended I didnt start dog training in Jan as other dogs atitudes might have an adverse affect... BUT... this is what I dont undertstand. How can he properly diagnose Cooper without seeying how he reacts with other dogs... (he is weird, he has played off the lead, he has fighted on the lead - but his tail wags all the time) and also - how do I know the dogs I meet on the field wont have an adverse effect on Cooper?